ACC aims to bolster its national reputation

Conference is considering playing games overseas and marketing push, but coaches say wins will make biggest impact

May 23, 2013|By Coley Harvey, Orlando Sentinel

AMELIA ISLAND — The ACC is at a pivotal point in its history.

So crucial is this particular moment in the conference's 60-year life span that its leaders believe new, fresh and unconventional ideas are needed to help bolster its national reputation.

"Everything has to be on the boards," Florida State men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We have to begin thinking outside the box."

The conference understands that if it wants to be taken more seriously, particularly on the football field, it has to take action. It has perform better athletically as a conference, market its overall brand better and extend itself into newer parts of world.

Later this summer, the conference will welcome Pittsburgh and Syracuse as new full members. Notre Dame will come on board as a partial member; only it's football team will avoid having new conference affiliation.

Part of the new ACC's marketing strategies hinge on the decisions made by new senior associate commissioner for brand marketing, Tim Lynde. Hired last month, Lynde comes to the conference after serving as the vice president of television for IMG College. He previously worked as the sports marketing manager at The Home Depot, where he led marketing strategies with major league baseball, the NFL and ESPN "College GameDay."

"He's going to be a tremendous addition," ACC commissioner John Swofford said. "There will be resources there to make certain that we are being more bold. . . . We've got a heck of a lot to sell."

One of Swofford's personal initiatives includes having football or basketball games played overseas. He floated the idea during the meetings, but it wasn't an agenda item league leaders discussed.

"That would be something I'd be open to," Hamilton said. "I'd be very open to it."

Reactions from football coaches were rather mixed. Most weren't sure about putting their teams through added preparation time and acclimating them, and later re-acclimating them back, to differing time zones.

Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick, whose basketball teams and Olympic sports teams join the ACC for the first time this fall, took his football team to Ireland last season for its opener against rival Navy.

"It ranks at the very top of the experiences that I've had at the university," Swarbrick said. "I will tell you they were probably reluctant when we boarded the plane [to leave for Ireland]. I'm not sure they wanted to do it. But to a person, they just loved it."

Notre Dame won the game en route to an appearance in last year's national championship game.

The ACC is hoping more of its football members can have that opportunity in the coming years. For that to happen, though, the schools have to do something they struggled to do entering last postseason.

"Gotta win," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

After FSU's Orange Bowl win over Northern Illinois in January, the ACC upped its all-time BCS bowl record to 3-13. Louisville also won a BCS bowl five months ago. Clemson knocked off SEC power LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

"This thing, it's not rocket science," Swinney said. "But there's a perception that you would think the ACC is like the bottom dwellers. That's far from reality."

The conference has traditionally been right behind the SEC in having players drafted and ultimately sending them to the Pro Bowl. It also has been competitive over the years on the recruiting trail. Still, ACC coaches believe their conference should get some of the hype the SEC does. They would like to change that.

"It's what y'all write. It's how y'all write everything. It's what y'all perceive," Swinney said. "All I know is I've been in this league going on 11 years now, and what we have to do is produce those few dominant teams. If you look at the SEC, they've had a heck of a run."

The SEC has won the last seven national titles and eight of the last 10.

"The SEC's earned everything they've got," Swinney said. "They've done it on the field. They've produced a champion.

"It's like the 4x100 [relay]. We haven't had somebody carry the baton yet, but hopefully we can get that going."